Strong brand, content farm - Anonymous employee Refinery29 Employee Review

3.0
14 Jun 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Office has plenty of natural light, high ceilings. Good location. Many of the staffers are extremely hardworking, met some amazing people who were sucking up low pay and long hours because so many would like to work there. And it is a strong brand, so it's ultimately great to have on your resume. A lot of opportunity if you're smart about it and take initiative.

Cons

It's a site which should empower women, and most of the content reflects that. But I witnessed a female staffer being humiliated in the crowded open office by a female higher up. I'd never seen anything like it, except maybe in a movie starring Joan Crawford. Also, management played favorites with certain staffers who were not so hardworking -- so meritocracy was lacking. It was very disappointing and hard to truly enjoy working at a company that should be amazing with these demoralizing issues. Content farm. Is it really possible to read that many blog posts in a day? A lifetime?

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
23 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

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